FromSoftware’s critically successful title, Elden Ring, allows players to pursue a wide variety of play styles and builds. Whether players want their Tarnished to be a holy cleric or an edgy harvester of souls, there is one weapon type that can accommodate either build and aesthetic: Reapers.
Named for the mythological “Grim Reaper,” of course, Reapers are the scythe weapons of Elden Ring. In the whole game, there are only four Reapers in total. They all have a solid range, somewhat slow swing speed, inflict bleed buildup, and partially bypass blocking. This ranking considers how difficult they are to find, how useful they are in PvE and PvP, and how adaptable they might be to different builds. Here are all the Reapers in Elden Ring, ranked according to their overall strengths.
4 Scythe
The Scythe is aesthetically and functionally the “default” Reaper. Both the Strength and Dexterity requirements to wield this Reaper are 14. The base scaling is E in Strength and C in Dexterity. This is the lightest Reaper, weighing only 7.5 pounds; as such, this weapon may be appealing to low-level builds or builds with low Endurance. Incidentally, the Scythe also has the longest range of the Reaper class, but only to a marginal extent. The Scythe can be found in Liurnia, tucked away in the Cliffbottom Catacombs.
The Scythe is fairly versatile, as it can be infused with Ashes of War and the damage scaling can be increased according to player preference. The base Ash of War, Spinning Strike, twirls the Scythe two times in a circle before landing a top-down strike where the player is facing. Like all Reapers, the Scythe has a Passive bleed buildup of 55 and can bypass a minimum of 40% of negated damage from blocks. Although a solid and versatile weapon for the early game, the Scythe lacks any particular strengths or viability in the late portions of the game.
3 Grave Scythe
The Grave Scythe is essentially the Scythe with some slight bonuses to consider. The Strength requirement is 17 and the Dexterity requirement is 13, making this the only Reaper to have Strength be the highest requirement. The base scaling is both D in Strength and Dexterity. This is the heaviest Reaper, weighing 9.5 pounds; as such, this weapon may be appealing to low-level builds or builds with low Endurance. The Grave Scythe also has the second-longest range of the Reaper class, but it is not far behind the Scythe. The Grave Scythe is a possible drop from Skeleton Mages, which are found in Liurnia and Caelid. Since this Reaper can be farmed, the Grave Scythe can be used two-handed or by using two in a power stance.
The Grave Scythe is also versatile, as it can be infused with Ashes of War and the damage scaling can be increased according to player preference. Notably, the Grave Scythe has an excellent base AR (attack rate) which can stack bleed buildup quite quickly; when coupled with the base Ash of War, Spinning Strike, or similar Ashes of War (i.e. Spinning Strikes, Spinning Weapon, etc) this Reaper can inflict bleed damage instantaneously. Like all Reapers, the Scythe has a Passive bleed buildup of 55 and can bypass a minimum of 40% of negated damage from blocks. Although a solid and versatile weapon for the early game, the Scythe lacks any particular strengths or viability in the late portions of the game.
2 Winged Scythe
Unlike the Scythe and Grave Scythe, the Winged Scythe is among the two holy-looking, Faith-boosted Reapers. The Strength and Dexterity requirements are both 16 and the Faith requirement is 24, making this Reaper highly suited for Faith-boosted melee builds. The base scaling is both E in Strength and D in both Dexterity and Faith. Just like the Scythe, the Winged Scythe is also the lightest Reaper at 7.5 pounds. Notably, the Winged Scythe can also inflict the most damage out of any Reaper, but unfortunately has the shortest range in its class. The Winged Scythe is found in the chest inside the Tombsward Ruins, located on the Weeping Peninsula. As such, the Winged Scythe can be found very early on and has a great capacity to remain viable throughout much of the game.
The Winged Scythe has a unique Weapon Skill, Angel’s Wings, whereby the Tarnished slashes upwards to set up a broad-reaching lunge. This Skill is excellent for several weaker enemies and even closing the gap in PvP; since it can be interrupted fairly easily, Angel’s Wings is not ideal for some boss fights, however. Like all Reapers, the Scythe has a Passive bleed buildup of 55 and can bypass a minimum of 40% of negated damage from blocks. The Holy damage is an added bonus for Faith builds, but the relatively high Faith requirement does not make this suitable for non-Faith builds; by extension, bosses in the late game tend to have resistance to Holy damage, making this weapon less viable in boss fights as time goes on.
1 Halo Scythe
Much like the Winged Scythe, the Halo Scythe is also an effective Faith-boosted Reaper with a unique Weapon Skill. The Strength requirement is 13, the Dexterity requirement is 16, and the Faith requirement is 15, making this Reaper more accessible than the Winged Scythe. The base scaling is both D in Strength and Dexterity and E in Faith, making the Halo Scythe marginally more useful in the late-game than the Winged Scythe. The Halo Scythe has a middling weight for Reapers at 8.5 pounds. Notably, the Halo Scythe has the second-shortest range in its class, just barely beating the Winged Scythe (again). The Halo Scythe can be dropped from Lesser Cleanrot Knights who wield the Halo Scythe (not the Cleanrot Knights with a Cleanrot Spear). They can easily be found around the Commander O'Neil boss area, called the Heart of Aeonia, which is located in the middle of Caelid.
The Weapon Skill for the Halo Scythe, Miquella’s Ring of Light, sends out a projectile that has slight tracking on enemies. This Skill only deals Holy damage. Given its tracking, range, and damage type, this Skill is highly useful for most PvE encounters (except for late-game bosses). Just barely beating out the Winged Scythe in accessibility, late-game viability, and overall utility, the Halo Scythe is perhaps the best stand-alone Reaper in Elden Ring.